By Emma Amaize

WARRI—ANGRY villagers of Yayorogbene in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State have threatened to disrupt the operations of Tenoil Petroleum and Energy Limited in the area for allegedly encroaching on the community’s lands and refusing to recognize it as host.

In a statement, leader of the community, Mr. Austin Ozobo, said Tenoil Petroleum had no reason to exclude Yayorogbene from its ongoing negotiations in respect of OPL 281 oil well, being an ancestral community in the area.

He maintained that the delay by the company in entering negotiations with the community would definitely truncate its business in the area, as the villagers would not relent until their demands were met.

Ozobo said: “Over time, absolute rights over lands in the Ekoro area were being exercised by Yayorogbene community till 2013 when Ekoro abruptly instituted a case in Burutu Customary court in a suit No Bacc/02/2013, challenging the authority of Yayorogbene community over lands in the area, demanding for recovery of N500,000 collected from a tenant for lease of lands in the area by Yayorogbene in 2010.

“The case dragged on for about  three years but on February 27, 2015, the case was dismissed against Ekoro with a fine of N20,000 to be paid to Yayorogbene,” he said.

He asserted that the community had written to the authorities of Tenoil Petroleum and Energy Limited and other relevant authorities in the state to accentuate the demands of Yayorogbene as host community in its oil operations in the area but regretted that the company had remained adamant and impervious to reason.

The community, however, appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Steve Oru, National Assembly, Delta State House of Assembly, and other stakeholders to urgently prevail on the company to do the needful to assuage the rage of the people.